CA CA - Barbara Thomas, 69, from Bullhead City AZ, disappeared in Mojave desert, 12 July 2019 #6

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SABBM

^^^ Re. the bolded portion : It would be nice to have a link for the accurate photos taken that day , if there are indeed several !
I have not seen even one photo that can be proven to have been taken that day in that area.
It's possible LE know and are not willing to reveal their hand . For their own reasons.

So far there are no photos with any proof that they were taken that day during the hike in the desert.
Timestamps can be manipulated. This was discussed in the previous thread.
Not saying that's what has happened.

No one at WS has accused RT of anything as he is still a victim in Barbara's disappearance.
But his words are being discussed, as well as his body language.

His address is known due to Barbara's address living at the same residence as RT; and with a missing person -- all of their information that can assist in locating said person is usually made public.
This is so that any neighbors or friends can help with any information they might have !
And other information about both of them that has been made public, (RT's fifth wheel, boat, and other purchases) the goal is to find Barbara.

His hang out locations at the casino and lounge he himself made public.
Sometimes people feel comfortable in familiar places-- so it may be nothing more than that.

And it is not due to WSers' looking this up.
Posters on this thread have given RT the benefit of the doubt -- more than some others have been afforded in previous cases.

This is about Barbara and no one else.

It's troubling that none of Barbara's friends have spoken up .
But it might be telling in that she could have been isolated by RT.
We don't know.

It the interview her son gave in msm he gave the possibility that RT didn't allow Barbara to have her own phone.
Take the msm interview with a grain of salt as there's a clear conflict of interest going on.
Thank you for reinforcing the message that at present, RT is not a POI or Suspect, and that he should be afforded the respect of a Victim. Are eyebrows raised? Yes. Doesn’t matter. At present, he is a Victim.

Thank you Micheline for the reminder of what makes WS a great forum. We do not pretend to be LE (unless verified), who have the info to name, or not name, someone as a POI or Suspect.

Hoping for more light to be shed on this strange case.

Amateur opinion and speculation
 
Guess I missed that detail, interesting. I guess I assumed that stop was just to look at the rock formation and they were going to be heading out to their "real" destination. If that were the case, why would you go to the effort to put out the shade and chairs? My hubby would never do that if we weren't staying in the area, he would think someone coming by on the road would steal our chairs. Odd ...
Good post.^^^

I find that a curious detail and somewhat unnecessary .
But if it helps to find her...
 
5th Wheel Camping - Campground or Boondock?
It occurred to me that with a nice fifth wheel like that, you'd want to hook it up at, say, a campground. I wonder if he made a reservation? Did anyone ask RT where they were planning to camp?...

Kapua :) Thanks for your post. ^ snipped for focus. bbm
^"a nice fifth wheel" A rig like that w all the amenities - potty, shower/tub, galley/kitchen, comfy beds - why use a campground or RV park at all? Why not boondock?* Depends on RVers' mindset.

No, not everyone would necessarily want to hook-up at campground or RV park. RT & BT made the kind of stop commonly made by ppl on long car-trip, to stretch legs and/or scenery-gawk, but not to stay overnight, IIUC.


Like you, I wonder if they made a C/G reservation; did they normally do that? Common for some RVer's to free-float, i.e., make no reservations; other always decide on exact destination ahead of time.


Several posters expressed surprise at leaving 5th wheel unattended while parked temporarily on a highway turn-out. That did not startle me, but I'm scratching my head about a bikini clad 69 y/o, w or w'out beer, walking thru spiney cholla in 95F sun, more so than an RV left parked for a few hours. Personally seen plenty of the latter, never the former. but from this thread, I've picked up a bit of info about desert rats.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Boondocking = overnight RV'ing w no elec or water hookups, not in C/G or park.
Common for some RVers whether full-timers or vacationers-/weekenders-only not to use, and not want to use campgrounds/RV parks. Some ppl buy bigger self-contained RVs like this specifically to avoid campgrounds/RV parks. W approp equipmt and using elec & water conservatively, RVer can stay 'out there' for one to two weeks, even longer. No neighbors on doorstep, 'close to nature,' & saving C/G fees (after spending beaucoup bucks on truck & rig). ime.
^ Based on full-time motorhome and Airstream living for several yrs post-retirement. Seen it all in terms of RVer practices & quirks. Or pretty darn close. Several yrs, never made a reservation, but not claiming it is the norm for RVer's.
 
Not directed at you, PajamaSleuth - just jumping off your post.

She was on the path to the RV. The path was clearly visible. The RV was clearly visible. Why would she leave the path when RT said she wanted to get to the RV? That makes no sense. MOO :confused:
To look for rocks? Also RT said she pulled ahead. I don't remember him saying she wanted to go the RV but then again am to lazy to check.
 
I went through a phase years ago where a black sport bra was my shirt of choice. If I had went missing no doubt the report would have read "black sport bra daisy may cutoffs".

While I'd love to know when that picture of Barbara was taken, it could very well be her hiking/outdoors uniform.

Bikini, shorts and a beer in the sun is totally the sorta thing i would do. Honestly, it would sound like a great plan to me. I only hope to be half as awesome as barbara when I grow up lol

Though the only desert I've been in is the middle east where I definitely wouldn't do that and after reading here for the last 5 years, I'm NEVER entering a U.S hiking trail or desert :D
 
5th Wheel Camping - Campground or Boondock?


Kapua :) Thanks for your post. ^ snipped for focus. bbm
^"a nice fifth wheel" A rig like that w all the amenities - potty, shower/tub, galley/kitchen, comfy beds - why use a campground or RV park at all? Why not boondock?* Depends on RVers' mindset.

No, not everyone would necessarily want to hook-up at campground or RV park. RT & BT made the kind of stop commonly made by ppl on long car-trip, to stretch legs and/or scenery-gawk, but not to stay overnight, IIUC.


Like you, I wonder if they made a C/G reservation; did they normally do that? Common for some RVer's to free-float, i.e., make no reservations; other always decide on exact destination ahead of time.


Several posters expressed surprise at leaving 5th wheel unattended while parked temporarily on a highway turn-out. That did not startle me, but I'm scratching my head about a bikini clad 69 y/o, w or w'out beer, walking thru spiney cholla in 95F sun, more so than an RV left parked for a few hours. Personally seen plenty of the latter, never the former. but from this thread, I've picked up a bit of info about desert rats.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Boondocking = overnight RV'ing w no elec or water hookups, not in C/G or park.
Common for some RVers whether full-timers or vacationers-/weekenders-only not to use, and not want to use campgrounds/RV parks. Some ppl buy bigger self-contained RVs like this specifically to avoid campgrounds/RV parks. W approp equipmt and using elec & water conservatively, RVer can stay 'out there' for one to two weeks, even longer. No neighbors on doorstep, 'close to nature,' & saving C/G fees (after spending beaucoup bucks on truck & rig). ime.
^ Based on full-time motorhome and Airstream living for several yrs post-retirement. Seen it all in terms of RVer practices & quirks. Or pretty darn close. Several yrs, never made a reservation, but not claiming it is the norm for RVer's.
Thank you so much! I don't know anything about camping or RVs; as I always say, "I camp at the Hilton", LOL. But the guy on the video said it had hot water... can you run it on a generator? Does it have solar?
 
To look for rocks? Also RT said she pulled ahead. I don't remember him saying she wanted to go the RV but then again am to lazy to check.

I believe his exact words were that she needed to get back to the RV or needed the RV. I think the word need was used, but I could be wrong.
(*ETA, I was wrong. Pommy says RT said BT wanted to use the RV. See Pommy's post for video of RT's interview).

He's the one who made it sound like she was on a mission to get to the RV to "use it," and he's the one who made it sound like she was the one who made the decision to split up out there.

JMO.
 
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To look for rocks? Also RT said she pulled ahead. I don't remember him saying she wanted to go the RV but then again am to lazy to check.
RT said nothing about Barbara looking for rocks. dbdb11 simply said that was something she enjoyed doing. Per RT, she continued ahead because she wanted to get to the RV.


:38 "By the time I took the picture, she was continuing on because she wanted to use the RV, and she rounded the corner, and I lost sight of her."

 
Not directed at you, PajamaSleuth - just jumping off your post.

She was on the path to the RV. The path was clearly visible. The RV was clearly visible. Why would she leave the path when RT said she wanted to get to the RV? That makes no sense. MOO :confused:
We don't really know exactly where they parted ways, neither does LE. If she was a little closer to the rocks she may not have seen the RV; that may not have been her first or only beer that day.

I don't think we can assume she or he did everything logically that day.
 
We don't really know exactly where they parted ways, neither does LE. If she was a little closer to the rocks she may not have seen the RV; that may not have been her first or only beer that day.

I don't think we can assume she or he did everything logically that day.
Sorry, I should have said "based on RT's story" she was 1/4 mile from the RV and "based on sroad's" visit to the search area, the RV was visible. Also, we don't know if she was drinking beer at all, really. That's also based on RT's story. MOO
 
There are no crevices between where she was on the trail and the RV. MOO
Not implying that, just thinking if it were me, and I got lost, I might try to go back to the only visible landmark I could see (the rocks) where she may have encountered a crevice for example.

I think if she got lost the most likely place where she made the mistake is the place where the path requires a turn just after the dry creek bed. It's a big IF, I know, but there is so little to go on with this case.
 
Not implying that, just thinking if it were me, and I got lost, I might try to go back to the only visible landmark I could see (the rocks) where she may have encountered a crevice for example.

I think if she got lost the most likely place where she made the mistake is the place where the path requires a turn just after the dry creek bed. It's a big IF, I know, but there is so little to go on with this case.
My reply was in response to this post. BBM
In the 5-10 minutes he was busy taking a pic of rocks so couldn't accompany his wife back to the camper, she could have fallen headfirst down a crevice, got abducted by a stranger that happened to be passing exactly in that timeframe, or taken a wrong path to where no-one would ever find her.

That's a lot of activity for an isolated area of the desert.
There are no crevices between where she was on the trail and the RV. MOO
 
Thank you so much! I don't know anything about camping or RVs; as I always say, "I camp at the Hilton", LOL. But the guy on the video said it had hot water... can you run it on a generator? Does it have solar?
@Kapua thanks for your post.

A bit O/T - any further discussion should probably go downstairs/private forums, so we can focus on BT here. There are several other RVers here who could also answer questions at approp. thread.


"The Hilton"??? Not us.
Camping? I don't know anything about camping.;)
When traveling, we take our deluxe hotel suite (RV) on the road w us.
:D


Re your questions. This specific RV, no info about generator or solar panels, but quite common in 5'ers like this. From what I saw of RT's rig, exterior only, I'd say likely yes, both gen'r. & SolPan's quite likely. Water heater - virtually certain in RT's rig, most commonly powered by propane gas. Can run some elec fixtures & appliances from the 'house battery' which is powered, at least in part, from SolPan's.
^ jmo.
{{{eta: removing linked dealer info re RV, as totally o/t}}}
 
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@Kapua thanks for your post.

A bit O/T - any further discussion should probably go downstairs/private forums, so we can focus on BT here. There are several other RVers here who could also answer questions at approp. thread.


"The Hilton"??? Not us.
Camping? I don't know anything about camping.;)
When traveling, we take our deluxe hotel suite (RV) on the road w us.
:D


Re your questions. This specific RV, no info about generator or solar panels, but quite common in 5'ers like this. From what I saw of RT's rig, exterior only, I'd say likely yes, both gen'r. & SolPan's quite likely. Water heater - virtually certain in RT's rig, most commonly powered by propane gas. Could be on-demand water heater or older/standard style, w switch to flip off & on.
Can run some elec fixtures & appliances from the 'house battery' which is powered, at least in part, from SolPan's.

^ jmo.

Info below is from dealer's youtube.
"Published on Jun 9, 2015

New 2016 Keystone Cougar 26RLS Fifth Wheel V...http://hwhrv.com
The Cougar 26RLS is a light weight 5th wheel with one slide. It features fiberglass front cap, power awning, pass through storage, Rocking recliners, sleeper sofa, booth dinette, 3 burner stove, oven, microwave, Dometic gas/electric refrigerator, LED TV, large shower, queen bed and plenty of storage."
The generator must be purchased separately and we don't know if they had one or not. Water capacity is 81 gallons. Cougar Fifth Wheels | Keystone RV
 
The generator must be purchased separately and we don't know if they had one or not. The water capacity is 81 gallons.
Cougar Fifth Wheels | Keystone RV
So presumably, by "use the RV" one might think that BT may have wanted to take a hot shower, or recline in one of those comfy chairs and watch her favorite novella. MOO
 
The scenario that has been suggested is that they parted company at the dry creek bed.
She follows the path away from the rocks, then instead of turning left where the paths cross, which would take her straight back to the place where the RV is parked, she carries straight on. That trail will still lead to the road, but a lot further away.
Also maybe she was drowsy from that beer and the heat and that caused her to take the wrong path. Can you see the RV where the paths crossed?
 
@Kapua thanks for your post.

A bit O/T - any further discussion should probably go downstairs/private forums, so we can focus on BT here. There are several other RVers here who could also answer questions at approp. thread.


"The Hilton"??? Not us.
Camping? I don't know anything about camping.;)
When traveling, we take our deluxe hotel suite (RV) on the road w us.
:D


Re your questions. This specific RV, no info about generator or solar panels, but quite common in 5'ers like this. From what I saw of RT's rig, exterior only, I'd say likely yes, both gen'r. & SolPan's quite likely. Water heater - virtually certain in RT's rig, most commonly powered by propane gas. Can run some elec fixtures & appliances from the 'house battery' which is powered, at least in part, from SolPan's.
^ jmo.
{{{eta: removing linked dealer info re RV, as totally o/t}}}
Apologize if you are not following my train of thought here, but I do think this is relevant to Barbara - and to finding Barbara.

Originally, I wanted to know if they had a reservation at a campground that could be tracked to give some idea of their final destination. Where were they planning to go after stopping off for a few rock pics? Were they headed for a campground?

I didn't realize that you could run them independently of a hookup. (This is how ignorant I am about all things camping, and that is OT for sure.)

RT said that BT was headed back to use the RV. I can imagine that after a 2 mile walk in the hot sun, she may have wanted to freshen up in the comfort of the RV. MOO
 
Might be way 'out there'... but, RT could sell the fifth wheel and use the $$ to search for Barbara, or offer a reward.
Other toys of his that he could sell.
I can't think of anything that would be important any more -- after your spouse has gone missing !
And RT even thinks she could've been abducted.

So gathering any funds together should be top priority.
 
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